LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. — One person is in custody after two people were found dead inside a house in Lincoln County on Wednesday, deputies said.
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office responded to an incident at a home on Springs East Road, just off Buffalo Shoals Road, early Wednesday morning. When deputies arrived, they found two people dead inside the house. A third victim was taken to a Gastonia hospital where they are on life support, investigators said.
Deputies found three people who had been seriously beaten, and two of those people died from their injuries. The sheriff's office told WCNC Charlotte the person of interest was at the scene, as was a hammer. During Thursday's court session, the state claimed he used a hammer to beat them.
“[Deputies] found two victims that had been basically beaten to death,” Sheriff Bill Beam said.
Beam said detectives arrested 32-year-old Conway Storm Cook and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in connection with the case.
On Thursday, Cook was denied bond due to the seriousness of the crime. He was given a court appointed attorney.
Douglas Adams’ son lives in an RV on the property and said his son is devastated.
“It was brutal to kill somebody like that," Adams said. "I thought at first someone broke in but that’s not what happened ... and my son he is shook up.”
Beam said they have had calls to this home before because of verbal disputes. He said they all knew one another, but deputies don't believe anyone involved was related. There were no children involved, Beam said.
The victims have since been identified as Tabatha Eades Michelle Funderburk and Austin Bradley Tallent.
It's unclear if the killings were fueled by drugs or alcohol, but Beam said narcotics were found at the scene during a search.
Cook's next court date is July 18. If he is found guilty of the attempted murder charge, he could face up to 350 months in prison. If found guilty of either first-degree murder charges, he could face life in prison or the death penalty.
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